Leicester prepare for revenge over Harlequins after beating London Irish in the Aviva Premiership

So Leicester against Harlequins it is on Saturday in the first semi-final
play-off. Welford Road will be full again, as it was here, but little else
will remain from this carefree dusting off of some cobwebs after a week off
for Leicester.

Comfortable: Leicester's Manusamoa Tuilagi bursts through the London Irish at welford Road on SaturdayPhoto: GETTY IMAGES

The 32-20 win over London Irish was just a frolic. Next weekend will be full-on. “It will be massively different,” said hooker Tom Youngs. “We will up our levels. We are a club who enjoy these big occasions and we are very much looking forward to it. We owe the Quins a couple of games.”

More than a couple actually. Quins have beaten Leicester twice this season in the Aviva Premiership. And there is also the small matter of last year’s final, in which Quins triumphed at Twickenham 30-23.

“That final hurt most,” said Youngs, “We didn’t play particularly well. We weren’t at the races. And that will sit deep in everyone’s minds this week.”

Focus will be simple, whereas here it was mightily difficult. A semi-final place had already been secured and it was just a matter of overcoming lowly London Irish to ensure a home tie.

“I suppose mentally it was a little bit difficult,” admitted Youngs. “These games at the end of the season when you know what you have got next can be difficult to get the precise accuracy of everything. You know what’s looming next week.”

And there was, of course, the recent selection of the British and Irish Lions squad, with Youngs one of five chosen Tigers to start here and Dan Cole coming off the bench, even if Youngs denied that was a distraction.

“That will probably only sink in at the end of the season,” he said. “I’ve got a lot to concentrate on here. I want to win something for my club.”

Youngs described Leicester’s performance as a “mixed bag” and he was correct. There was much good, not least his and Geoff Parling’s hands for a try for Tom Croft.

Youngs’ brother Ben also scored a lovely solo try, as did Toby Flood, whose flicked pass also created a score for Vereniki Goneva, and Mathew Tait, on for Anthony Allen whose neck injury is not considered serious, finished off a strong run from Manu Tuilagi that was aided by Geordan Murphy’s support.

But there was also the slackness that allowed three tries for the Irish in the second half as flanker Jamie Gibson excelled at the breakdown and Leicester allowed themselves to be drawn into a looseness with which they are rarely associated. It descended into farce at times.

“We have got to be dead, dead right next week, otherwise it’s over for us,” admitted director of rugby Richard Cockerill, “But being at home is massive.

"Historically, if you are at home you tend to win. It’s a hard place to come. They are a good side, but we are a pretty good side too. We are not going to be complacent. If it had been Northampton we might have been after our recent success against them.

“But we have struggled to beat Harlequins, they are a good team and dangerous across the board. It will be a tasty and interesting contest.”